Does the Birthplace Matter for Chinese Pop Music Talents? From the Perspective of Local Cultural Capital

Abstract

It is a common geographical phenomenon that the birthplaces of talented individuals tend to cluster; however, this has not been fully explored in human geography. Existing studies primarily focus on the spatial mobility of talents after their development, overlooking the influence of the environment in which they grow up. Based on cultural capital theory, this paper examines Chinese pop singers by analyzing their birthplaces and their relationship with local cultural capital. Using GIS methods, such as kernel density analysis, the study visualizes the spatial clustering characteristics of Chinese pop singers and explores the factors influencing the spatial distribution of their birthplaces through a negative binomial regression model. The findings suggest that: 1) The birthplaces of Chinese pop singers exhibit a multi-core spatial structure, with Taiwan, Beijing, and Sichuan as the epicenters. "Beijing-Hong Kong" serves as the main destination for established pop singers, followed by "Shanghai-Chengdu-Taipei". Notably, underdeveloped western regions, such as Xi'an, Urumqi, and Kunming, also show an advantage in nurturing Chinese-speaking pop singers. 2) The spatial distribution of Chinese pop singers' birthplaces differs from China's regional economic development patterns. Regions rich in cultural capital, such as Sichuan and Northeast China, are relatively prolific in producing pop singers. The number of Chinese pop singers from new first- and second-tier cities like Chengdu, Chongqing, Shenyang, and Harbin exceed that of the first-tier city of Guangzhou. The study shows that cultural capital factors have a significant positive impact on the distribution of Chinese pop singers. The rich cultural capital and favorable local music culture have fostered a long-standing music tradition, providing a supportive environment for pop singers. For example, Sichuan, with its rich folk music heritage, such as Sichuan Qingyin, Xiling Mountain Songs, and Dongjing Music, has also established China's first popular music college. 3) The increase in local cultural capital can benefit the growth and cultivation of Chinese pop singers, although the significance varies by type of cultural capital. Educational and cultural capital, on the one hand, enhances singers' musical creativity by embodying cultural capital, shaping habits, cultivating music aesthetics, and acquiring skills; on the other hand, it inspires young students' interest in music. Geographical and environmental factors serve as sources of artistic inspiration for cultural products and create a melting pot for diverse ethnic cultures. The factors of music industrialization reflect the specialization of local music industry networks, such as discovering and cultivating new musical talents and promoting music collaboration and production. This study provides a comprehensive empirical analysis of the role of local cultural capital in cultivating creative talents and offers constructive suggestions for enhancing regional cultural industry strategies.

Keywords

• cultural capital
• chinese pop singers
• music production
• cultural ecology
• geography of talent